"What?"
Harry jerked his head toward the dormitory door and Rigel and Ron followed him out. They hurried down to the Gryffindor common room, which was half-empty, and joined Hermione, who was sitting alone, reading a book called Ancient Runes Made Easy. Hermione looked aghast at the news.
Hermione looked aghast at the news.
"But - only a Gryffindor could have stolen - nobody else knows our password -"
"Exactly," said Harry.
They woke the next day to brilliant sunshine and a light, refreshing breeze.
"Alright team," Oliver said once they were all changed and waiting to walk out onto the pitch. "There's only one more game after this one, and that one determines who wins the Quidditch Cup. I am fully confident that we will be the winners this year, what with our superb Seeker and excellent newest Chaser."
Rigel and Harry grinned at each other as Eliza wrapped an arm around each of them. "Let's make this our best game yet!"
After a long breakfast full of Rigel continuously singing, "His eyes are as green as a fresh pickled toad, his hair is as dark as a blackboard," it was almost time for the Quidditch match.
"You've been yawning a lot," Rigel asked concerned.
"Oh, I'm fine." Eliza waved which worried Rigel even more.
They met the Hufflepuff team in the center; Oliver and the Hufflepuff captain shook hands, Madam Hooch gave her usual speech, they mounted their brooms, and then-
McGonagall came running out onto the field, her wand amplifying her voice. "If I could have your attention, please!" The crowd quieted. "This match had been canceled!"
There were shouts of outrage and mutterings of unhappiness.
"All students are to make their way back to the House common rooms, where their heads of Houses will give them further information. As quickly as you can, please!"
McGonagall came running out onto the field,
"Potter, Potter, Black I think you'd better come with me..."
Wondering how she could possibly suspect him this time, Rigel saw Ron detach himself from the complaining crowd; he came running up to them as they set off toward the castle. To their surprise, Professor McGonagall didn't object.
"Yes, perhaps you'd better come, too Weasley..."
Some of the students swarming around them were grumbling about the match being cancelled; others looked worried. Harry, Rigel, Eliza, and Ron followed Professor McGonagall back into the school and up the marble staircase. But they weren't taken to anybody's office this time.
"This will be a bit of a shock," said Professor McGonagall in a surprisingly gentle voice as they approached the infirmary. "There has been another attack... another double attack."
Rigel's insides did a horrible somersault. Professor McGonagall pushed the door open and he and Ron entered... Madam Pomfrey was bending over a fifth-year girl with long, curly hair and Hermione Granger!
"Hermione!" Ron groaned.
"No no no" Eliza muttered running towards Hermione. Tears began forming in her eyes, threatening to flow over.
Eliza quietly sobbed while Harry just hugged his sister too shocked to say anything. Rigel was gaping at the petrified muggle-born.
"She was holding this when we found her." McGonagall reached over to the small table next to Hermione's bed and picked up a small, compact mirror. "Do any of you have any idea at all what this could mean?"
They shook their heads mournfully.
McGonagall sighed and put the mirror down. "I'll leave you now." She slowly walked away.
McGonagall gave them fifteen minutes to come to terms with the fact that one of their best friends, Hermione Jean Granger, was petrified. Then, she led them back to Gryffindor Tower. She let them enter before her, closing the portrait hole behind her. When everyone had quieted and was paying attention, she opened a scroll. "I have an announcement to make," she grimly said. "A curfew starting at six in the evening will be instated, starting today. All students will be accompanied to each lesson by a teacher. No student is allowed to leave their common rooms without a teacher accompanying them. And finally, Quidditch has been canceled for this school year." She rolled up her scroll and exited the common room, the students in an uproar behind her.
The Gryffindors packed inside the common room listened to Professor McGonagall's in silence. She rolled up the parchment from which she had been reading and said in a somewhat choked voice, "I need hardly add that I have rarely been so distressed. It is likely that the school will be closed unless the culprit behind these attacks is caught. I would urge anyone who thinks they might know anything about them to come forward."
She climbed somewhat awkwardly out of the portrait hole, and the Gryffindors began talking immediately.
"That's two Gryffindors down, not counting a Gryffindor ghost, one Ravenclaw, and one Hufflepuff, " said the Weasley twins' friend Lee Jordan, counting on his fingers. "Haven'tany of the teachers noticed that the Slytherins are all safe? Isn't it obvious all this stuff coming from Slytherin? The Heir of Slytherin, the monster of Slytherin — why don't they just chuck all the Slytherins out?" he roared, to nods and scattered applause.
Percy Weasley was sitting in a chair behind Lee, but for once he didn't seem keen to make his views heard. He was looking pale and stunned.
"Percy's in shock," Fred told Rigel quietly. "That Ravenclaw girl — Penelope Clearwater — she's a perfect. I don't think he thought the monster would dare attack a prefect."
Under the noise, it was easy to talk to each other without others overhearing. Rigel, Harry, Eliza, and Ron turned to each other, faces grim. "I think it's time that we go a have a talk with Hagrid," Rigel said. Harry and Ron nodded, determined to find out exactly who was behind everything once and for all.
That night, Eliza, Rigel, Harry, and Ron left the common room under the cover of invisibility. Harry, Eliza, and Ron were under Harry's cloak, and Rigel had his pendant. They quickly made their way down to the grounds, where the lights in Hagrid's hut were clear as day. When they got there, Rigel let Harry do the honors of knocking on the heavy oak door.
It was a clear, starry night. They hurried toward the lit windows of Hagrid's house and pulled off the cloak only when they were right outside his front door.
Seconds after they had knocked, Hagrid flung it open. They found themselves face-to face with him aiming a crossbow at them. Fang the boarhound barked loudly behind him.
"Oh," he said, lowering the weapon and staring at them. "What're you four doin' here?"
"What's that for?" said Harry, pointing at the crossbow as they stepped inside.
"Nothin' — nothin' —" Hagrid muttered. "I've bin expectin' — doesn' matter — Sit down— I'll make tea —"
Rigel took it upon himself to start the interrogation.
"Hagrid, we really, really, really need to have a very serious discussion with you. Were you the last one to open-" he stopped? Hagrid was staring out the window? The cup that he was filling with tea had completely overfilled, splashing on the counter. "Hagrid, are you alright?"
Rigel sent Harry and Ron an uneasy look. Eliza looked paler than usual. "Alright, but-" he was once again interrupted.
Hagrid dropped the fruitcake. Harry, Eliza, and Ron exchanged panic-stricken looks, then threw the Invisibility Cloak back over themselves and retreated into a corner. retreating to a corner. Rigel dived to the opposite corner, activating his pendant.
"Good evening, Hagrid."
It was Dumbledore. He entered, looking deadly serious, and was followed by a second, very odd-looking man.
The stranger had rumpled gray hair and an anxious expression, and was wearing a strange mixture of clothes: a pinstriped suit, a scarlet tie, a long black cloak, and pointed purple boots. Under his arm, he carried a lime-green bowler.
"That's Dad's boss!" Ron breathed. "Cornelius Fudge, the Minister of Magic!"
Hagrid had gone pale and sweaty. He dropped into one of his chairs and looked from Dumbledore to Cornelius Fudge.
"Bad business, Hagrid," said Fudge in rather clipped tones. "Very bad business. Had to come. Four attacks on Muggle-borns. Things've gone far enough. The ministry's got to act."
"I want it understood, Cornelius, that Hagrid has my full confidence," said Dumbledore, frowning at Fudge.
"Look at it from my point of view," said Fudge, fidgeting with his bowler. "I'm under a lot of pressure. Got to be seen to be doing something. If it turns out it wasn't Hagrid, he'll be back, and no more said. But I've got to take him. Got to. Wouldn't be doing my duty -"
"Take me?" said Hagrid, who was trembling. "Take me where? Not Azkaban?
Lucius Malfoy strode into Hagrid's hut, swathed in a long black traveling cloak, smiling a cold and satisfied smile. Fang started to growl. What is he doing here? Rigel thought.
"Already here, Fudge," he said approvingly. "Good, good. . ."
"What're you doin' here?" said Hagrid furiously. "Get outta my house!"
"My dear man, please, believe me, I have no pleasure at all in being inside your - er - d'you call this a house?" said Lucius Malfoy, sneering as he looked around the small cabin. "I simply called at the school and was told that the headmaster was here."
"And what exactly did you want with me, Lucius?" said Dumbledore. He spoke politely, but the fire was still blazing in his blue eyes.
"Dreadful thing, Dumbledore," said Malfoy lazily, taking out a long roll of parchment, "but the governors feel it's time for you to step aside. This is an Order of Suspension - you'll find all twelve signatures on it. I'm afraid we feel you're losing your touch. How many attacks have there been now? Two more this afternoon, wasn't it? At this rate, there'll be no Muggle-borns left at Hogwarts, and we all know what an awful loss that would be to the school."
"Oh, now, see here, Lucius," said Fudge, looking alarmed, "Dumbledore suspended-no-no-last thing we want just now-"
"As you know Cornelius, the appointment or suspension of the headmaster of Hogwarts is a matter for the school governors." said Mr. Malfoy smoothly. "And as Dumbledore has failed to stop these attacks-"
"See here, Lucius, if Dumbledore can't stop them," said Fudge, whose upper lip was sweating now, "I mean to say, who can?"
"That remains to be seen," said Mr. Malfoy with a cold smile. "But as all twelve of us have voted-
"Yeh can' take Dumbledore!" yelled Hagrid, making Fang the boarhound cower and whimper in his basket. "Take him away, an' the Muggle-borns won' stand a chance! There'll be killin' next!"
"Calm yourself, Hagrid," said Dumbledore sharply. He looked at Lucius Malfoy.
"If the governors want my removal, Lucius, I shall of course step aside. "However," said Dumbledore, speaking very slowly and clearly so that none of us could miss a word, "you will find that I will truly have left when there is nobody loyal to me in the school."
"If anyone wanted ter find about some stuff, all they'd have ter do is follow the spiders." Hagrid bellowed. That was clearly a message for them. Ron pulled the Cloak off us as soon as the door was closed.
Hagrid's message was in fact Aragog, Hagrid's acromantula. The giant spider had told them that the Slytherins monster was ironically in fact spider's worst fear and was nearly killed if it weren't for the flying ford Anglia.
"Rigel Sirius Black put me down this instant!" Eliza yelped as Rigel forcefully lifted her up.
"No, you're going to the hospital wing now!" Rigels said sternly. "You've been sick for days Eliza and I am not letting another-"
"Tarantallegra!" Eliza yelled and Rigel dodged it.
"Oh fuck no!" Rigel exclaimed as he dodged a tickling charm. Activating his invisible pendant, he walked behind Eliza and carried her bridal style.
"Rigel!" Eliza yelped as she was pulled off her feet.
"Still don't like getting carried?" he grinned cheekily down at her.
Eliza giggled and Rigel cracked a smile. His grey eyes met her hazel brown. He could see every dimple on her pale face. Both of them automatically leaned towards each other.
"Oi!"
The two jumped. Rigel dropped Eliza as they met a glaring Harry Potter.
"Harry! You ruined my moment, you dumb twat," Eliza yelled.
"I'm sorry I don't enjoy watching my twin sister about to kiss my best friend!," he snapped.
"Aww thanks, Harry!" Rigel grinned cheekily.
"Why do you care that I'll kiss your best friend," Eliza said poking her brother's chest. "You can't control what I do! Butt out, Harry!"
"Alright, what happened?" Rigel signed interrupting the twin's bickering.
"The monster. It's a basilisk, and I know where the entrance to the Chamber is."